Statewide symposium educates employers on a Recovery-Ready workplace

ALBANY, N.Y. — Between 2009 and 2015, New York lost nearly a quarter of a million workers from the labor market due to opioids.

That cost New York State almost $180 billion in real economic output. So, how can employers better handle the ongoing opioid crisis?

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Well, 31 states have adopted some form of the Recovery-Ready Workplace program as a new way to approach employees who may be struggling with substance abuse disorder.

New York is not one of those states at the moment. In an effort to change that, the City of Albany hosted the first statewide symposium to educate and mobilize participants on a Recovery-Ready workplace.

"We’re trying to reform the approach in employment," Safety and Health Consultant Jonathan Rosen said. "Instead of drug-free workplace, which really doesn’t work, it’s a failed strategy, we’ve got recovery ready workplace.

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"We’re looking at working conditions like stress, physical injury that can lead people to new addiction. Physical injury is often treated with opioids and people, about 25% according to CDC, get addicted. So that’s a big issue."

Part of this new approach is making workers who are worried about being fired or discriminated against feel comfortable approaching their employer's when they're struggling.

Agencies here in New York are working with legislators to get funding and structure in place.